A wide variety of starch and protein-based snack food products are presently available to the consumer. Many of these products are in the form of chips, strips, and extruded tubular pieces. Some of these products are expanded or puffed and contain a cellular or honeycombed internal structure. In addition, most of the present-day snack products contain a fairly high level of fat, either in the form of separately added ingredients, such as cheese, or in the form of fats imparted to the product during cooking, as in the case of corn or potato chips. Fat improves the flavor and palatability of these products. However, it also increases the caloric value of the product. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide low fat snack products which have an attractive appearance, texture and taste.
There have been several attempts at lowering the fat content of potato chips and of potato snacks made from doughs. One method involved coating chips with an aqueous dispersion of a high amylose starch. This is said to produce a potato chip with minimal oil pick-up and low variation in the amount of oil absorbed. (see RE 27,531 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,227 issued to Muray, et al., 1971). Coating of breaded or batter food products with a film forming agent such as gelatin or starches is also said to lower oil absorption by the foods when they are fried (U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,583 issued to Olson, et al, 1985).
An alternative coating of raw starchy foods was described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,631 (Roan, 1977) which involves coating the food surface with an aqueous solution of alpha amylase enzyme. This is said to lower the fat absorption of the product during frying. The amylase attacks starch molecules forming maltose, dextrins and other smaller starch fragments.
Alpha amylase enzymes have also been added to a batter of potato solids from which a snack food is produced. The enzyme hydrolyzes the starch molecules, thereby increasing the solids content and reducing the viscosity of the batter. Fried potato snacks made from this batter are said to have a lower oil content than normal. Example 3 shows an average of 14.5% fat for amylase coated snacks and 17.2% for the control product.
While these treatments are said to lower the oil content of the final product, they are not controlled reactions. Enzymes act on the starch present in the batter but they hydrolyze starch in a random manner. Reaction time, temperature, water content and type of starch reacted with the enzyme all have an effect on the composition and physical properties of the final batter from which the snack is made.
A predictable way to lower the fat content of fried snack products, particularly potato snacks, is desirable. Moreover, since the solids content, degree of hydrolysis and the water content of the dough also affect the browning and the texture of the product, a way to control these parameters is also needed.
It is therefore an object of this invention to make a fried potato snack with a lower fat content (between about 20% to about 32%) which has the same lubricity and texture as one with a higher fat content.
It is a further object of this invention to make a fried potato snack which produces a uniform product in a controlled process.
It is a further object to promote flavor development through increasing the reducing sugar browning reactions which occur during frying in the fried snack product.